Cigar machine cross feed



y 1942' .J. F. HALSTEAD 2,284,472

CIGAR MACHINE CROSS FEED V Filed July 22, 1939 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JQHN F. HALST EAD BY Y 3 ATTORNEY y 1942- J. F. HALSTEAD CIGAR MACHINE CROSS FEED Filed July 22, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTQR E D JOHN FZHALST A 15.6 BY 5 2 7 ATTORNEY feed belts.

Patented May 26, 1942 CIGAR MACHINE CROSS FEED John F. Halstead, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to International Cigar Machinery Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application July 22, 1939, Serial No. 285,837

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in cigar filler feeds and more particularly to the cross feed controlling means.

To produce cigars of uniform weight and density it is important that the stream of tobacco from which the bunch lengths are severed be uniformly compressed, so that the column of tobacco formed by assembling the bunch lengths, and the bunch charges separated therefrom, will be uniform. Heretofore the filler feeds have been constructed so that when the feed control mechanism occasionally stops the feeding of the to-- bacco stream for a certain cycle, when an oversupply of tobacco has been delivered to the column, only the feed belts remain inoperative and the balance of the mechanism, namely the com-- pressor and the corrugated cutter continue operating. Therefore, when the feed belts do not advance the stream of tobacco for any given cycle, the compressor, which is of a length sufficient to compact a section of the stream corresponding to approximately two bunch lengths, each half of said section will have been pressed athird time before it is severed. Thus there is separated from the tobacco stream a portion of tobacco of considerably greater density than other portions-of the tobacco stream which have received but two compressions during the intermittent advancement of the tobacco'stream by the A bunch charge cut from this thrice compressed portion will produce a heavier cigar than will a charge cut from a twice compressed portion, resulting in making cigars of uneven weights.

It is the main object of this invention to overcome this difllculty by providing a feed control which stops the operation of its entire mechanism, namely the feed-in belts, compressor and corrugated cutter, at a time when thecompressor is clear of the tobacco stream. In this manner, all portions of the tobacco stream will be uniformly compressed, assuring a stream of tobacco of practically uniform density, whereby cigars will be produced of a more uniform weight.

Another object achieved by stopping the entire cross feed is that the corrugated cutter which severs the bunchlengths will not move up and down and cause small sections of tobacco to be shaved from the stream as heretofore. These shavings tend to collect at the head end of the bunch lengths assembled to form said column and lodge in the head ends of the bunch charges separated therefrom. Thus these loose particles are enclosed within the head end of the finished cigar where they are highly objectionable.

Another object is the provision of an indicator for continuously indicating to the operator whether the feeding of tobacco in the feed channel is at the correct height. Previously, on cross feeds having a compressor roll resting on the portion of the tobacco stream in front of the compactor plate, there have been provided indicators which are actuated by the up-and-down motion of the roll due to the varying height of the tobacco stream there-under. In operation they have given constantly fluctuating readings and proved unsatisfactory, because of the widely differing thicknesses of various adjoining sections of the stream and the tendency of the roll to drop into hollows in the stream and give a highly inaccurate reading. By actuating the indicator from the vertically reciprocating compressor foot in the present construction, a reading of the compacted or averagethickness of the tobacco stream along the entire length of the compressor will be given.

My indicator is so connected to the intermittently operated compressor foot that an indication of the thickness of the tobacco in the channel will be given even while the presser foot is lifted and not operated, a difiiculty which has hitherto deterred use of an indicator of this type on the cross feed. The indicator resets at the last part of each downward stroke of the compressor thereby using only a small fraction of each cycle for the resetting operation. The pointer is therefore stationary almost during the entire cycle, and permits plenty of time for the operator to glance at the pointer, to determine whether more or less tobacco be fed to maintain the proper height of tobacco in the channel. By this arrangement the operator, who is kept busy feeding tobacco into the channel, will at one moment or another be able to glance at the indicator for a reading. With the objects indicated, and others not specifically mentioned in view, the

invention consists in certain methods, combinations and constructions which will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

Fig. 2 is a partial end elevation of Fig. 1 showing the feed control mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the filler magazine partly in section, illustrating the thin charge being separated from the filler supply;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detail views showing the indicator in different working positions;

Fig. 7 is an end view of the indicator unit;

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the clutch control mechanism while the filler feed is incapacitated; and

Fig. 9 is a similar view thereof while the operation of the filler feed is being reinstated.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the filler feed consists of a pedestal Ill mounted on the bed of the cigar machine, a bracket l I being attached to pedestal Hi and supporting the feed table I2 and the driving pulleys of the feed belts l3, l4 and [5. A bracket 1 6 secured to the side of member II supports idler pulleys over which these feed belts are trained. The pedestal Hi and the bracket I l fastened thereon each support one end of the drive shaft of the feed control mechanism as will be hereinafter described. Uprights l3 and I!) are mounted on top of bracket II and support the compressor foot 23 and its compactor 2 l, the

corrugated cutter 22, the transfer platform 23,

the transfer arm 24, the cam shaft 25 and the fulcrum 26 of the transfer arm.

The filler tobacco is laid lengthwise in the channel formed by the horizontal feed belt 13 and the two vertical feed belts l4 and 15. The horizontal belt 13 is driven by pulley 21 and guided by pulleys 28 and 29 and by pulleys, not shown, supported by the brackets 15. The belts l4 and I5 are driven by pulleys 30 mounted on member H, and by pulleys, not shown, on an adjustable slide carried by brackets IS. The belt 14 is driven from a bevel gear 31, mounted on a shaft 32, in mesh with a bevel gear 33 on the vertical shaft 34. Shaft 32 is supported by pedestal I5 and a bracket 35'secured to'said pedestal, an arm 36 extending from bracket 35 having a hub supporting the lower end of shaft 34 whose other end of the shaft is supported in a suitable bearing provided in bracket 1 I. The shaft 34 is provided with a gear 31 meshing with a gear 33 on shaft 39 of one of the pulleys 35, this latter shaft being also equipped with a bevel gear 40 in mesh with a bevel gear 4! mounted on a shaft 42 supported in bracket II. A bevel gear 43 mounted on shaft 42 meshes with a gear 44 on vertical shaft 45 and imparts motion to the other pulley 3U.

In each cycle the stream of filler tobacco advances between a pair of guides 45 and is directed beneath the hinged compactor 21. While the motion of the stream of filler tobacco is halted itis subjected to the action of compactor 2| and a plate 41 attached to compressor foot 20 which compress it sufficiently to give it sufficient body to sustain the subsequent operations. The compressor is suspended from links 48 supporting a rod and pivoted on a bracket 50 secured to upright l9, said links being operated toraise and lower the compressor by an arm 5| connecting to a slide 52. Said slide is mounted in ways pro-,

vided in upright 19 and is actuated up and down by a cam lever 53 fulcrumed on a stud 54 and controlled by a cam 55 on shaft 25, through a cam roller 55 on said lever. The hinged compactor is suspended from a link 51 connected to a horizontal bar 58 having its other end supported by the rod 49. The cam 55 in this manner also actuates the compactor 2!. The arm 53 and slide 52 also operate the corrugated cutter 22 which is mounted on a frame 50 attached to slide 52. This construction is similar to that shown I the upright H3.

in the patent to P. Peterson, granted February 27, 1934, 1,948,594.

The platform 23, upon which the leading end of the filler stream rests, is in its horizontal position at the time the cutter 22 descends to sever a bunch length from the tobacco column. The platform 23 mounted on an arm Si is lowered by a link connection 62, Fig. 3, operated by a cam (not shown) into an inclined position as indicated by dot and dash lines. in its inclined position rests on a horizontal gate 63 which projects over the space between plates 64 and 65 and a swinging rake 66 having a plate 6'! draws off the severed bunch length. The plates 64 and 65 together with a plate 53 constitute a filler supply magazine of the type disclosed in my Patent No. 2,255,054, dated September 9, 1941, in association with a cross feed of the type described above. The plate 61 of rake 66, suitably beveled for effective operation on both the platform 23 and gate 63, forces the filler section or bunch length into position directly over the space between the magazine side walls 64 and 65. In doing so, the rake advances plate 61 to a position of alignment with the magazine wall 64 which it occupies when the filler supply is compacted and then returns to its original position.

The rake 66 is actuated by an arm 24, Fig. 1, which is pivotally connected thereto and mounted on fulcrum 25 and derives motion from a cam 69 on shaft 25 which engages a cam roller 10 carried by an arm H secured to fulcrum 25; Member 26 is provided with an arm 12 supporting a counterweight 13 which tends to hold roller HI in engagement with its cam whereby swinging motion is imparted to rake 65 to advance the bunch length on to the gate 63. Further description of the construction of the platform 23 and the With the filler section or severed bunch length in position on the gate 63 in the filler magazine, the pressure plate 15 and its integral resilient pad '16 descend and bear against the filler section resting on the gate. Simultaneously, a cam operated link (not shown) is raised, allowing an elevator 11, Figs. 1 and 3, to travel upward and the compressed filler section now held by gate 53 which lies above any surplus filler that has been brought up by a bottom plate 18 of the elevator, is released and the entire filler supply is lowered into position for the separation of a thin charge after the retraction of gate 63.

Inasmuch as the movement of the elevator is a more detailed descriptionof the same is deemed unnecessary.

The pressure plate 1'5 is secured to a slide 19,

Figs. 1 and 3, mounted in a groove provided in a bracket and retained therein at its lower end by a plate 8|. The bracket 85 bolted to the side of plate 55 provides a bearing for a shaft 82 which is fixed a lever 83, the other end of shaft 82 being supported in a bracket 84 fastened to A link 85 operating the slide [9 is pivoted to the lever 83 and to' the slide 19 at 86. An arm 81, fixed to one end of the shaft 32 and to which a rod 88 is suitably mounted to carry anadjustable weight 89, is actuated by a pin and slot connection 90 to a cam operated link 8!. The shaft 82 at its other end is connected to the feed control mechanism which pre- The platform 23' vents feeding of additional filler when a certain surplus exists in the magazine, said control operating in a manner to be presently described.

With the filler supply imposition and the gate 63 retracted as heretofore mentioned, a separator plate 95 and a vibrating knife blade '96 which is supported by arms 91 moves into engagement and separates a thin charge from the filler supply. Since the remainder of the charge separating mechanism consists of the same parts as in my co-pending application, showing of the same is omitted in the present disclosure.

When the thin charge has been separated, a plunger plate 98 with its plunger 99 travels between the separating plate 95 and the magazine bottom plate 18 to force the separated thin charge into a pocket I of a charge transfer generally indicated at IOI of Fig. 3. After load ing of the charge transfer, the plunger plate 98 and plunger 99 are retracted and the magazine bottom plate 18 is elevated to a suitable distance from the separating plate 95 so that the remaining filler supply will be supported after the separating mechanism has retracted. The above mentioned transfer IOI delivers the filler charge on to a rolling apron, not shown, of well known construction which rolls the filler about a binder leaf to form a cigar bunch.

The cross feed mechanism (Figs. 1 and 2) is intermittently driven by a ratchet I05 mounted on the shaft 32 through the engagement therewith of a pawl I06 pivoted on a stud I01 at one end of a lever I00. Lever I08 on the shaft 32 is oscillated by an arm I09 connected thereto by pin H0 and actuated by a pin III slidably mounted in a slot I I2 and carried by a crank I I3 on the shaft II4. A stop screw II5 mounted on the arm I09 limits the lost motion of the pin I I I and permits adjustment of the feeding stroke. A sprocket II6 loose on the shaft H4 is driven by a chain II! from a sprocket (not shown) on the main shaft of the machine. An adjustable screw H9 is secured in a bracket IIS attached to the cross feed bracket I0 to limit the travel of arm I09 and the pawl I06, the arm I09 being held against screw IiB by a tension spring. A

stop pin I is provided on the pedestal ID for limiting the travel of the arm I09 with pawl I06 in the opposite direction.

A lever I2I is operated by an arm I22 on the shaft 82 through a link I23 pivoted to the crank arm I22 at I24 and secured to lever I2I by a pin and slot connection I25. A forked adjusting lever I 26 is mounted on the shaft 82 and is provided with adjusting screws I21 which bear against a pin I28 on arm I22, and by adjusting the relative position of screws I21 the stroke of link I23 may be varied. Lever IZI is mounted on a stud I29 supported by pedestal I0 and operates an arm I30 in engagement with a latch arm I3I pivoted on a stud I32 of member I0. The engagement of members I30 and I3! is normally maintained by a spring I33. A resetting arm I34 which may be integral with I3I is provided to be engaged by a roller I35 carried on one end of a rotating arm I36 fixed to sprocket H6. The opposite end of arm I36 supports a driving arm or pawl I31 carrying a roller I38 at one end and constructed at its other end to engage and drive a disk I39 integral with a sprocket I40 fastened on shaft II4. When the sprocket I40 rotates it drives a chain I4I running over a sprocket I42 fixed on cam shaft 25 and over a take-up sprocket I43 and an idler sprocket I44 on stud I29.

With a sufficient supply of filler tobacco stored in the magazine formed by the Walls 64 and 65, the arms I30 and I3! will remain engaged as sen in Figs. 2 and 8, permitting the roller I38 of arm I31 to be depressed by the surface I45 of arm I3I whereby the recess I46 of arm I31 will be disengaged from a tooth I41 inserted in disk I39 and thus the disk will remain stationary and no motion will be imparted to sprocket I40 and shaft II4, ratchet I05 or their co-acting members, thereby rendering the feed-in belts, compressor members and corrugated cutter inoperative. As the filler supply in the magazine dwindles, the pressure plate 15 is caused to descend deeper and deeper into the magazine causing the weighted arm 81 to turn shaft 82 whereby the link I23 is depressed bringing the upper end of its elongated slot into engagement with pin I25, thus forcing arm I2I downward whereby arm I30 will ascend .and permit the spring I33 to disengage arm I3I therefrom and pull the free end of lever I3I against a shoulder on lever I30 and thus move the reset arm I34 into the path of the roller I35. The relative movement of said arm is limited by a stop pin I48 in arm I3'I which abuts an extension I49 of a plate I50 secured to arm I30. With the arm I 3| released, it is in a position out of the path of the oncoming roller I38 whereby the recess I46 of pawl I31 will engage tooth I41 and impart motion to its disk I39 and sprocket I40 and thereby driving ratchet I05, thus setting the feed-in belts, compressor and corrugated cutter in action. The rotation of arm I36 will bring its roller I35 into engagement with reset arm I34 and move arm I3I sufficiently to re-engage its co-acting arm I30, and if sufiicient tobacco has been delivered to the magazine this engagement of the arms will interrupt the drive of disk I39. If more tobacco is needed the arm I3I will again be pulled by spring I33 against the shoulder of arm I30 and the disk I39 will continues to turn until link I23 has descended enough to reset arm I30 to its original position.

Referring to Figs. 4 to 7, an indicator mechanism which forms the subject matter of my divisional application, Serial Number 418,755, filed November 12, 1941, and is operated by the compressor foot is disclosed. This unit consists of a bracket I which is secured to the compressor plate 41, the upper portion of the bracket being provided with a stud I50 to which is fastened a trigger I51. Between the bracket and trigger is placed a fibre washer I58 which together with a spring I59 and lock nuts I60 tend to frictionally hold the trigger in position. A bracket Ifii is secured to aguard I62 which partly encloses the feed belt I4, this bracket at its base being provided with a cut-out I63 wherein the bracket I55 is free to move up and down. A stud I64 supported in a hub I65 of bracket IBI carries a pointer I66 adapted to register with an indicator plate I01 attached to upright I8. A fibre washer I08 placed between bracket Isl and pointer I55 together with a spring I69 and lock nuts I10 is provided to frictionally hold the pointer stationary. Bracket I9I is equipped with a stop pin I1I which resets trigger I51 as the compressor plate 41 moves to its up-position. The butt of the pointer carries two studs I12 and I13 adapted to be engaged by the trigger I 51.

Referring to Fig. 4-, the compressor 41 is shown in its up-position with the trigger 551 abutting stop pin HI, and as the compressor descends the base of the trigger engages the stud I12 and swings pointer itii to its starting position seen in Fig. 5. It is well to mention at this time that the frictional contact of the pointer is adjusted to give more freely than the trigger, so that said pointer will be moved by-the latter and indicate to the operator whether or not the tobacco is being fed into thefeed channel at the correct height. As the compressor continues to descend and press the tobacco in the channel, the base of the trigger is caused to engage stud IE3 and gradually swing the pointer I65 towards the indicator plate It'l. When the correct amount of tobacco is fed into the feed channel, the compressor in pressing it to the desired density will move pointer I65 into registration with the apex of plate IG'I as seen in Fig. 6. If too much tobacco is fed into the feed channel, the density of the tobacco will render 'thecompressor inoperative before .reaching its proper level and stop the indictor to the right of the apex of plate IG'I. If too little tobacco is fed into the channel the compressor will descend below its proper level and the pointer I55 will stop to the left of the apex of plate #61. Regardless of where the pointermay be stopped, it will remain in that position while the compressor ascends to reset the trigger by means of stud ill. In this manner, the operator may still glance at the indicator to ascertain if the proper height'of filler tobacco is being fed.

It may be noted that the operation of the filler feed is incapacitated prior to the interval during which the tobacco stream is advanced and while the compactor is in a raised position clear of the tobacco stream, and reinstated at the same portion of the machine cycle. The clutch for this purpose has a further advantage due to the illustrated construction in that there will be no running ahead of the driven member of the clutch relative to its driving member under the influence of the momentum of the weighty corrugated cutter or other parts of the filler feed. Since the front and rear faces of the insert Id? of the driven member I38 are engaged by the side walls of the recess I45 in the driving arm I3'I, the running ahead of the driven member will be prevented. To facilitate the engagement of the recess I46 with the insert I4! the portion of arm i3l immediately behind the recess rides on the circular portion of the periphery of the disk ass, and, unless it is swung upwardly by the engagement of roller I58 with the arm I3i, will ride on' to theflattened portion of disk periphery wherein the insert I41 is set. Then the portion of the inner face of the arm I31 ahead ofv the recess Hi6 which clears the exposed rear corner of insert IQ'I while the portion of arm H31 behind the recess is riding oif the circular part of the periphery of disk I39 as shown in Fig. 9, is pulled into engagement with the outer face of insert 141 by a tension spring I80 connecting the arm I31 to arm I35 and rides thereover until the forward wall of recess I46 reaches the forward side of insert I47. Then the recess snaps into engagement with the insert and operation of the filler feed is resumed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cigar machine filler feed, the combination with a member for intermittently advancing a stream of tobacco, of a cutter for separating bunch lengths from said stream of tobacco while said member is at rest,a continuously driven member, mechanism for driving said tobacco advancing member for a predetermined interval in each machine cycle and actuating said cutter, a clutch normally operative to connect said mechanism to said continuously driven member to cause feeding of the filler stream and severance of bunch lengths therefrom, and means for disengaging said clutch from said mechanism prior to the beginning of said predetermined interval to stop said tobacco advancing member and the operation of said cutter for one machine cycle.

2. In a cigar machine, the combination with a measuring chamber, of a filler feed intermittently operating to advance a stream of tobacco into said chamber in successive cycles of the machine, mechanism normally operating to compact the tobacco in said filler feed in each cycle of the machine, means for compacting the tobacco in said chamber, said mechanism including a rigid compactor movable vertically into position to engag and compact said stream, and a device actuated by said means and controlling said filler feed and mechanism and operating to incapacitate them for one cycle in the event ofan oversupply of tobacco in said chamber, whereby the tobacco in said filler feed will not be compacted again by said compactor during the cycle that the filler feed is incapacitated following the presence of an oversupply of tobacco in said chamber during the operation of said compacting means.

3. In a cigar machine, the combination with a measuring chamber, of a filler feed intermittently operating to advance tobacco into said chamber in successive cycles of the machine, mechanism normally operating to perform a separating oper ation upon the tobacco in said filler feed in each cycle of the machine, means to compact the tobacco in said filler feed, means for compacting the tobacco in said chamber, and means operating said filler feed and mechanism and controlled by said last-named compacting means to incapacitate said filler feed and mechanism for one cycle in the event of an oversupply'of tobacco in said chamber, whereby the tobacco in said filler feed will not be again subjected tothe operation of said mechanism during the cycle that the filler feed is incapacitated following the presence of an oversupply of tobacco in said chamber during the operation of said compacting means.

4. In a cigar machine filler feed, the combination with a member for intermittently advancing a stream of tobacco, of a compactor operating to intermittently descend while said member is at rest and compact the tobacco stream thereon, a continuously driven sprocket, mechanism for driving said member for a predetermined interval in each cycle and actuating said compactor, a clutch normally operative to connect said mechanism to said sprocket to cause feeding of the tobacco stream and compaction thereof, and means for disengaging said clutch prior to said predetermined interval and while said compactor is in a raised position.

5. In a cigar machine, the combination with a filler feed for periodically advancing a continu ous stream of tobacco; of means for separating sections from said stream; mechanism for assembling the separated sections to form a column of tobacco and compacting said column; a device for compacting said stream while it is at rest; and means controlled by said mechanism for simultaneously interrupting the operation of said filler feed, said device and said means for separating sections when the amount of tobacco in said column exceeds a predetermined volume.

6. In a cigar machine, the combination with a filler feed for periodically advancing a continuous stream of tobacco, of means for separating sections from said stream while it is at rest, mechanism for assembling the separated sections to form a column of tobacco and compacting the same, and means controlled by said mechanism for simultaneously interupting the operation of 5 said means for separating sections and said filler feed when the amount of tobacco in said column exceeds a predetermined volume.

7. In a cigar machine, the combination with a filler feed for periodically advancing a continuous stream of tobacco, of a device reciprocable vertically into position to engage and compact said stream while the same is at rest, mechanism for separating sections from said stream, mechanism for assembling the separated sections to form a column of tobacco and compacting the column, and means controlled by said assembling and compacting mechanism for simultaneously interrupting the operation of said filler feed and said device when the amount of tobacco in said 10 column exceeds a predetermined volume.

JOHN F. HALSTEAD. 

